Business
NEW Rivers: Building The Future Through Quality Education
Improving the quality of education in Rivers State has always been a major focus of Governor Nyesom Wike’s administration. When he took over leadership in 2015, the education sector was in comatose. The immediate past administration had adopted a cosmetic approach that destroyed the foundation of education in the state.
All through his first term, Wike diligently revived the education sector. From the basic, to the senior secondary up to the tertiary education level, he upgraded facilities. The impact has been felt up to the rural communities.
All the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State felt the impact of the educational programmes and policies of Governor Wike during his first term. He promised to do more for Rivers people.
His second term has been a continuation of the wonderful revival of the education sector. The basic education sector is witnessing the massive upgrade and reconstruction of schools.
In the last one year, about 100 basic education schools have been upgraded and reconstructed by the Wike administration.
The objective of the administration is to ensure that Rivers children have access to quality learning facilities.
Through the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board and the Rivers State Ministry of Education, the Wike administration has empowered teachers with modern teaching skills.
The training and retraining of teachers has been upscaled by the administration. Governor Wike believes that when teachers are empowered with higher knowledge and skills, they will deliver more to Rivers children.
Within the first one year of his second term, Governor Wike has reconstructed and equipped three major schools in the state. They are: Government Secondary School, Ubima, (formerly Community Secondary School, Ubima), Seabed Model School , Port Harcourt and Government Craft Development Centre, Port Harcourt.
Major secondary schools spread across the three senatorial districts of the state are witnessing upgrade and general restoration. This is a continuation of the phased reconstruction of iconic schools started by the Wike administration during his first term.
Governor Wike is also embarking on the reconstruction and remodeling of the following secondary schools: Enitonia High School, Port Harcourt in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area; Government Secondary School, Ogu in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area, Community Secondary School, Rumuolumeni in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area ,Community Secondary School, Rumuepirikom in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Bonny National Grammar School, Bonny in Bonny Local Government Area and Government Secondary School, Okarki in Ahoada West Local Government Area.
Others are: Western Ahoada Central High School, Ahoada in Ahoada East Local Government Area, Government Secondary School, Abua in Abua/Odual Local Government Area, Government Secondary School, Okporowo -Ogbakiri, Emohua Local Government Area, Government Secondary School, Obuama in Degema Local Government Area, Community Secondary School, Omuanwa in Ikwerre Local Government Area, Model Secondary School Bakana in Degema Local Government Area and Model Secondary School, Tombia in Degema Local Government Area .
The Rivers State Government under the leadership of Governor Wike, has improved the funding of tertiary institutions in the state, developing the right facilities that have led to the accreditation of courses.
The Rivers State University, the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori and the Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt have been well-funded by the administration. They have become national reference points.
To ensure access to education for the less privileged, Governor Wike abolished all forms of fees and levies in public primary, junior and senior secondary schools in Rivers State.
This was a major second-term action. He has since released funds for the running of the schools for the 2019/2020 academic session.
The funds released by the Rivers State Governor would be used by the schools for registers, chalks, dusters, markers, notebooks, pens and other consumables.
Governor Wike approved that the state government will henceforth bankroll the form fees for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB) for all indigenes and non-indigenes in the state.
This approval by Governor Wike has been implemented for the 2020 UTME conducted by JAMB.
All across the state, parents and guardians have continued to sing the praises of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for supporting education in very practical ways. With the abolition of fees and the payment of UTME fees, the less privileged for the first time are feeling the direct positive impact of government.
Delivering the 2020 budget to the Rivers State House of Assembly, Governor Wike made a solemn commitment to use education as a tool for empowerment and education.
He said: “Building on the progress of the last four and half years, we will continue to ensure adequate funding for education in Rivers State. It is for this reason that we are proposing the sum of N49.471 billion to fund the education sector for 2020. This sum represents 20% of the total budget and is the highest ever budgetary allocation to education, reflecting the level of our commitment to investing in the future of our children.
“ In 2020, we will continue to ensure the systematic rehabilitation, upgrade and transformation of our primary, secondary and tertiary institutions and build new ones where the population demands to deliver a more conducive learning environment across schools in Rivers State.”
Governor Wike has kept this promise. The results are everywhere across the state. The results from WAEC and NECO examinations justify the quality investments in the education sector by Governor Wike.
Nwakaudu is Special Assistant to Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media.
Simeon Nwakaudu
Business
Food Vendors, Others Relocate To New Site At PH Airport
The raging controversy between the Port Harcourt International Airport Management and restaurants/canteen operators and theirallies over relocation has been brought under control, as the operators have commenced relocation to their structures at the new site.
Recall that there had been serious feud over a directive by the Manager of the airport, Mr. Michael Area, for food vendors and their allies to relocate to the new site.
They insisted that the new site was too distant and hence, would negatively affect patronage from customers, with possible loss.
They further also insisted that it wouldcost them much money to put up another structure, given the economic situation in the country, since the airport management did not build any structure for them, apart from providing the empty land they have to also pay for.
The situation had led to flexing of muscles, which made the Airport Manager to order for sealing of all shops, resulting in scarcity of food, as airport users could not find a place to eat, apart from the only Genesis fast food spot available.
As at last Friday, The Tide observed that most of the food vendors had transferred their structures to the new place, and had started doing business there already.
Meanwhile, customers have started settling down at the new location as they were seen patronising shops for foods and drinks, in spite of the distance.
Few of the remaining structures at the old site, The Tide further gathered, will also be removed as quickly as possible, and the owners are making efforts to get funds for the job to be done.
One of them, Mrs Aka Love explained that she was going to relocate to the new place before the end of March.
Currently, business activities at the old site have come to null, as the place which was usually a beehive of food, drinks and relaxation, has completely winded down.
By: Corlins Walter
Business
MOWCA Strengthens Maritime Crime Prevention
Secretary General of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), Dr. Paul Adalikwu, has stepped up interaction with the United States Government to lift restrictions placed on some member countries allegedly implicated in illicit shipping activities.
Adalikwu, who led a delegation from the MOWCA Secretariat to the US Embassy in Abidjan for a first leg of the strategic consultation aimed at promoting seamless participation of MOWCA countries in international trade within the global maritime space, reiterated the organisation’s commitment to the best ethical and lawful maritime practices.
Addressing the U.S Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, H.E Mrs Jessica Davis Ba, the MOWCA SG stated the organisation’s interest in promoting the International Ship and Port facility Security (ISPS) code which aims at enhancing security of vessels and their ports of call.
He expressed the commitment of MOWCA in promoting environmentally friendly, safe and cost effective shipping without any encumbrance that may limit the economic potential of member countries.
Dr Adalikwu recalled that at the instance of the U.S. Department of State invitation, MOWCA participated in the 2023 Registry Information Sharing Compact (RISC) Conference in Larnaca, Cyprus, on February 28–March 1, 2023, and a virtual meeting held on June 6 2023, with Mrs Jennifer Chalmers, Officer in change of Counterproliferation Initiative.
He recalled The U.S. DOS willingness to support MOWCA’s effort for preventive maritime security through the establishment of the Center for Information and Communication (CINFOCOM) with the aim to ensure a maritime situational awareness domain within MOWCA’s member states’ waters.
He added that MOWCA under his watch is committed to training and retraining of maritime practitioners and experts to enhance the human capital capabilities of member states.
The CINFOCOM will help prevent transnational crimes committed at sea like sanctions evasion by North Korea and other state actors, who exploit poor enforcement due diligence by ship open registries to circumvent United Nations and U.S. trade restrictions.
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Business
Nigeria’s Public Debt Hits N97.3trn – DMO
The Debt Management Office (DMO) has hinted that Nigeria’s public debt increased by 10.7 per cent from N87.87 trillion in the third quarter of last year, to N97.34 trillion as at December 31, 2023.
DMO, in an update data released last Friday, said the increase in the debt stock was largely due to new domestic borrowing by the Federal Government to part finance the deficit in the 2024 Appropriation Act and disbursements by multilateral and bilateral lenders.
The office noted that the N97.3 trillion public debt comprises of domestic debt of N59.12 trillion and external debt of N38.22 trillion. The sum of $3.5 billion was used to service external debt during the review period.
“Nigeria’s Public Debt Stock as at December 31, 2023 was N97.34trillion or $108.229 billion. This amount comprises the domestic and external debt stocks of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), the 36 States Governments, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“There was an increase of N9.43 trillion over the comparative figure for September, 2023, which was largely due to new domestic borrowing by the FGN to part finance the deficit in the 2024 Appropriation Act and disbursements by multilateral and bilateral lenders.
“At N59.12 trillion, total domestic debt accounted for 61 percent of the total public debt stock, while external debt at N38.22 trillion accounted for the balance of 39 percent.
“Consistent with the debt management strategy, Nigeria’s external debt stock was skewed in favour of loans from multilateral (49.77 percent) and bilateral lenders (14.02 percent) or total of 63.79 percent which are mostly concessional and semi-concessional.
“Whilst the DMO continues to employ best practice in public debt management, the recent and on-going efforts of the fiscal authorities to shore up revenue will support debt sustainability”, DMO stated.
By: Corlins Walter
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